6-Day Grand South Loop: Chigaga Dunes, Taroudant & Essaouira

Leaving Marrakech behind, the road climbs into the High Atlas Mountains and crosses the dramatic Tizi n'Tichka Pass, the highest paved mountain pass in North Africa, with sweeping views over Berber villages clinging to the slopes. A stop at the crumbling Telouet Kasbah reveals the faded grandeur of the Glaoui dynasty, while a short detour to Ait Benhaddou — the UNESCO-listed fortified village famous from Gladiator and Game of Thrones — is a highlight for photography lovers. After lunch in the former garrison town of Ouarzazate, the route continues along the Skoura palm oasis and through the fragrant Valley of Roses before reaching Boumalne Dades at the entrance to the dramatic Dades Gorges, where the night is spent in a kasbah-style guesthouse.

Leaving the Dades Gorges, the route crosses to the Draa Valley, Morocco's longest oasis, passing a succession of earthen kasbahs and palmeries before reaching Zagora, famed for its historic camel-caravan signpost pointing the way to Timbuktu.

The road continues south through Tamegroute, known for its green pottery and ancient Koranic library, to M'Hamid El Ghizlane, the last village before the true Sahara. From there, a 4x4 or camel convoy crosses into the vast, untouched dunes of Erg Chigaga for an overnight desert camp.

Leaving the dunes, the route crosses the arid plains toward Foum Zguid and over the Anti-Atlas range to Taroudant, a walled city nicknamed “Little Marrakech” for its red pisé ramparts, but calmer and more authentic, with lively souks specialising in silver jewellery and leather goods.

Heading west, the drive passes through argan groves and small Berber villages before joining the Atlantic coast road near Tamri, known for its banana plantations. The medina of Essaouira, a UNESCO World Heritage fishing port with 18th-century fortified ramparts, is reached by late afternoon — a relaxed change of pace after the desert.

The final drive back to Marrakech follows the argan tree route, with the option of a final stop in the Chichaoua region, known for its distinctive tribal carpets, before returning to the Red City.